Re: XML as a transition to s-expr

[Tony Kimball <address@hidden>]

: >  * we've already discussed how important libraries are. "Scheme" can't
: > become popular until I can download any random scheme and expect a rich
: > set of libraries. Some specific Scheme distribution might become
: > popular, I guess, but then you've got a fragmented community with books
: > that apply to Scheme versus those that apply to the distribution, etc.
: 
: Libraries are vital, but if enough people like the language
: enough to want to use it, the libraries will follow.

There are scads of scheme libraries, they're just so poorly organized
as to be of little value.  Compare CPAN.

Really, Perl is a wonderful example of why Sun was right to hold Java
so tightly.  There can be only one.  Wall's syntax was ugly enough so
that no one wanted to reverse engineer it.  This was a *good thing*
for the success of Perl, which today is driven largely by CPAN.

: Also, almost everyone in intro CS classes
: has done some imperative programming before, and once that mindset is
: established it's very hard to dislodge.

The ACM curriculuum, and high school Basic as well, do a terrible
disservice to their victims.